DPI Guyana published an article on June 14th, 2017 titled “The Internet has turned our young people into digital citizens of the world.”
A Cybersecurity workshop hosted by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications in collaboration with local and international institutions for the Education sector revealed opportunities and social issues that the development of the internet has presented for youths.
Here are some key points:
- The event was done in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, Education and Social Protection ministries and attracted participation from heads of primary and secondary schools.
- The ITU and United Nations specialized agency for Information Communication Technologies, Mr. Sylvester Cadette mentioned an observation of how barriers for the cost of access to digital devices like smartphones and tablets are diminishing including geographical borders of internet capabilities and communication.
- Cadette stressed on the need for users of these communication technologies to be constantly aware of the potential dangers such as cyberbullying and being a target for sexual exploitation. The result of these outcomes can take a negative toll on mental health for the users that face such experiences.
- In light of these events, the ITU has established an Online Child Protection Initiative to improve online security around the world.
- The Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Education, Marcel Hudson said that with the assistance of the ITU and Ministry of Public Telecommunications, they are devising a set of effective strategies to combat cyberbullying and keep students safe from similar and other kinds of threats to their online safety.
Reference: dpi.gov.gy
Contributed by: Jason Jacobs from Guyana. Jason is a member of the CCST Discord group from the G5 Cyber Security Foundation Ltd. Learn more about CCST (Caribbean Cyber Support Team) by visiting caribbeancst.org. CCST is a collaborative group on the Discord platform for Caribbean people in IT, from beginners to experts.